


learn to love me

by LollipopLively



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-07-20 09:20:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16134317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LollipopLively/pseuds/LollipopLively
Summary: Emma is a teacher who constantly winds up Regina, the Principle, and Regina gets her own back until she gets more than she ever thought she would.





	1. Chapter 1

She’s going to be late. 

Again.

Emma knows this long windy road like the back of her hand, has spent almost every disastrous day for the last however many months cursing herself internally for not having a fully functioning alarm clock that doesn’t just randomly go off whenever it feels like it. This has caused her to end up rushing out of the house, steering her yellow bug with one hand and ramming her breakfast down her neck with the other in order not to keep anyone waiting for school. She grew up In this little town in Maine, knows every back street and alleyway off by heart. She was by no means a model student herself but she’s since turned her life around and is living in her one bedroomed house alone. It’s nothing special, not by a long shot, but it’s enough. 

Her battered car almost turns over on its side as she turns the infamous horseshoe bend in the road that she’s expertly perfected over the years, before she’s taking a right and then a left onto Maine Street.  
It wasn’t long before she was taking a final left turn at the fork and entered into the school driveway where she gave subtle nods to kids who were in her way and the occasional beep of her horn to move out of her way and swung her car into the parking space.

Regina could not know she was late again. 

She reached over to the passenger seat and wiped off a few crumbs from yesterday’s breakfast and grabbed her two black files and lunch box. She twisted the keys out of the ignition and tried to get out of the car as gracefully as possibly without looking like the unorganised chaotic mess she was. 

It was colder outside today than usual and Emma was thankful she wore her red leather jacket, which Regina has deemed in appropriate for school use but well, it’s her favourite and she only wears it to run her way down the corridors and back at the end of the day. So, with a few curt nods and rushed ‘good mornings’ she hurries her way into school. 

Emma made it exactly three steps before she caught sight of the principle in her tight fitting black pencil dress strutting her way through the crowd and heading straight towards her and she kept her eyes focused straight ahead and tried to appear calm as she heard a smug, “good morning Miss Swan” in Regina’s usual smug tone. 

Caught. Again.

Emma gave her a tight lipped smile and ignored the smirk on her red lips when she tripped on her way past and carried on towards her classroom. 

Regina hadn’t been here that long, she had transferred to replace Leo, the old headmaster who was fired for encouraging teachers to cheat on students tests and grade them higher. To Emma, Regina was like a complete mystery. None of the staff seemed to know much about her, nor did they seem interested in knowing. She was stoic, and harsh and Emma knew atleast half of the students complained about her daily. 

Still, it didn’t stop Emma wondering just who Regina is and wanting to know why she’s so intent on keeping people at arms length. Not that she had any plans of doing so, she knew that any attempts would be fruitless. So for now, she satisfied herself with the scowls and words of frustration at why she can’t simply leave her bed ten minutes earlier each day and arrive on time. 

Emma’s classroom was suitably decorated to her tastes. She taught psychology, with a firm belief in the idea that childhood experiences shape who we become as adults, her parents had atleast taught her that even though they’d never been around. In fact, she never knew who her mother or father was and she’s certain that all her feelings of abandonment have risen from that. 

Her desk was cluttered, with bits of random pieces of paper with half scribbled notes on lying around, but she knew exactly what everything meant. There’s method in the madness, she says to Regina when she’s told to clean it up. There were exactly four coffee mugs, all practically glued down to the wooden desk with how long they’d been sat there and she made a mental note to definitely move those today. Her favourite was one with a Swan on the side and the words best teacher that she was given by a past student as a leaving gift.

When the bell rang, Emma logged onto the computer and waited for it to load as the students piled in. Mary Margaret was the first in as always, being the goody two shoes she was and her sweet boyfriend David followed just behind. Then after them was Killian, the trouble causer, and graham his best friend. 

Killian was teasing David about being ‘in love’ with the girl and batted his eyelashes in mockery as he waited for the rest of his classmates to laugh, which they did and just as Emma was about to call them out and tell them to quite down a shadow appeared in the doorway and a mass of groans. 

Only one person provoked a reaction like that. 

“Morning everyone... I’m here to remind you all to bring in your permission slips for this weekend’s camping trip. Any later than after school on Thursday and you will not be attending. Do I make myself clear?” 

They all nodded, sighed or rolled their eyes and agreed painfully while Emma sat in her chair and looked on. Regina turned to her, gave her a curt nod, and left the room as quickly as she came in leaving a trail of zipped lips and eyes on Emma as first period began.

 

###

Regina stormed her way towards Emma’s classroom at break. She made a special effort to appear like a woman in a mission as she powered her way through the corridors and swung open Emma’s door and stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face as Emma hurried to explain, “look, Regina, I know I was la-“

“It’s Miss Mills to you, Miss Swan” 

Emma balked at her for a second and then carried on, “yeah...Miss Mills, look, I Know i was late this morning but I promise-“

Regina sighed dramatically and a playful smirk appeared on her lips, “it won’t happen again?” 

“Something like that” Emma admitted shamefully.

“Just like it wouldn’t happen again the time before, or the time before, or-“

“I get it Re- Miss Mills”. Emma sighed and asked, “is there anything I can do? You know to maybe compensate” 

And just like that the pleased blood thirsty look on Regina’s face made Emma regret that entire sentence as she walked to her desk, planted both her feminine hands on the edge of her desk and leaned forwards until she was looking directly down at Emma and smiled a wicked grin, “actually, there is. You’ll be accompanying the students on the camping trip this weekend” 

Emma’s green eyes nearly popped out of her head as she scoffed, “no, i actually have plans this weekend” 

She didn’t but the last thing she ever wanted to do was spend a whole three days cooped up in a tent alone in a field full of pupils and colleagues. 

Regina’s lips pursed in false concern, “Too bad. Cancel them” and then she looked down at the building pile of shit and mugs and rolled her eyes before turning and walking back towards the door the way she came.

Emma sat with her mouth wide open and then Regina turned her head over her shoulder and took pleasure in telling her, “oh, and make sure you pack something warm. I hear it’s going to be a cold one” 

And then she and her perfect body and perfect lips and deep rich feminine voice left the room and took Emma’s hopes of this weekend being a good one with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma went home and opened the best bottle of red wine she could find in her house while she picked up the pile of papers she’d been meaning to grade for a few days now. They weren’t going to mark themselves, unfortunately. 

She decided to check her emails first, knowing they would have been building up since she last checked some time last week. It wasn’t that she was unorganised, but reading through spam and junk emails only frustrated her. But on a rare occasion there would be one of importance, like now, with the name Regina Mills in bold. 

She felt her belly sink inside, wondering just what she had done so wrong to warrant Regina’s direct attention but then she quickly realised that it was addressed to a number of members of staff. 

She didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad about that, and took another mouthful of wine to go down with the bitter feeling that it wasn’t a personal email. Why would it be? Regina wouldn’t take time out of her life to associate with people like her. Regina is obviously a classy, high maintenance woman. 

She focused back on the screen and squinted slightly as she tilted forwards to read the words in front of her, which only filled her with nothing but disappointment. It was an email reminding them of the weekend camping trip she had been invited too. 

Forced, more like. 

She read the names on the email one last time, just in case she had accidentally somehow sent it to her by pure mistake and she wasn’t using this to punish her. But no, her name was definitely there, first and foremost at the top of the list, followed by the biology teacher, Mr Hopper. It’s not that Emma doesn’t like him, but he sort of irritates her with his endless knowledge on random things she doesn’t wish to know about. 

So this weekend just got a whole lot better. 

And she’s a teacher of Psychology, it’s not like she knows much about Science, at least not enough to warrant her accompanying them on the trip, and then she remembers the smug grin on Regina’s face when she was caught arriving late. Again. And Emma couldn’t help but roll her eyes and groan as she put her glass of wine down on the coffee table in front of her and picked up her phone instead. Suddenly the urge to mark papers had disappeared along with her enthusiasm to spend an entire weekend with a group of kids and the most annoying teacher in the whole school. 

She opened Facebook, liked a few comments that she’d been tagged in and deleted numerous friend requests from students. Since when they thought it acceptable to add teachers she didn’t know, but she definitely wasn’t going to accept them. 

She should really be packing, and Regina’s reminder of “I hear it’s going to be a cold one” kept ringing around in her head. That damned woman. She really is out for revenge. 

And as she’s scrolling, she doesn’t mean to stumble upon the suggested friends list, with the name Regina Mills staring back at her like a slap in the face.

Should she look? 

Regina wouldn’t know if she did, right? She could just check out her profile, see if she’s really always as uptight as she is at work. She must let her hair down sometimes...

The information on her profile isn’t much, since they aren’t friends. The only mutual friends they have are Sidney Glass, her personal assistant and a couple of other teachers she hardly knows or associates with. She’s surprised Regina had even added them atall. 

And she can’t help but secretly wonder ‘why not me?’ 

It’s not like Mr Hopper with his extensive knowledge on the human body and his pretty spotty dog have anything in common with Regina Mills atall. 

But then she remembers her and her snobby boss aren’t friends in any capacity, thus this weekend’s impromptu camping trip. 

Regina’s profile picture is a typical posed image of her with perfect silky looking hair as always and perfect teeth staring at the camera with an almost genuine smile slapped on her face. Emma doesn’t actually remember seeing Regina smile like that in person. 

Does she ever smile?

Her lips are painted a deep plum shade of purpled my red that matches the plunging blouse she’s wearing and her hands are crossed in front of her. It’s all very business woman like. Very typically Regina. 

She had hoped Regina would have more photos on here, she can’t really be as boring as she appears to be, surely. And when she swiped to the left and discovered that she did in fact have more photos, her heart starts doing jumping jacks as she focuses intently on the images in front of her. The next photo is of her in a bar, a bar? She has a social life? She scanned the photo with her eyes and all of Regina’s friends in the image until her face lands on one of a woman standing next to Regina, looking at something to her right, with her hand around Regina’s waist. 

It looks far too cosy, far too intimate for Emma’s liking. But since when did she feel anything other than annoyance for her? Regina was all stoic and icy, she had yet to see this more human side of her. 

She hums quietly as she picks up her glass of wine again and looks at the next image which caused her to cough the mouthful of red liquid back up and snort through her nose. 

It’s Regina. Smiling. Laughing? Wearing a bikini looking all sun kissed and gorgeous. Her face is totally free of makeup and she looks so much less bitchy and regal like that.

She had never thought of Regina in a bathing suit, but the image brings her to a stunned silence with her jaw almost hanging on the floor. Her skin... 

Her skin is perfect, tanned and it looks so soft. Her hair is almost curly, in tight wet waves around her face. And her body is absolutely... 

Beautiful, to say the least. 

She is a beautiful woman, but she proves to be even more so like this. She looks relaxed and happy and so unlike the Regina who patrols the hallways at work. 

And Emma doesn’t realised her hand is shaking until the phone vibrates with another email reminding them of the suspected weather conditions just to rub salt in the wound and her finger just slips and she realises she’s accidentally liked the photo. 

And she can’t take it back now can she? If she unlikes it, Regina will know she liked it to begin with and know that she hadn’t meant too. If she leaves it for Regina to see and doesn’t at least try to cover it, she’ll think she’s some kind of weird stalker...

Shit. 

And then the phone begins to ring with the name ‘Mills’ flashing up on her screen mocking her as she struggles to contain her nerves and accepts the call with a shaky, “uhh, hi” and wonders if she’d already seen the notification and is calling to call her out on her high school stalking behaviour and, 

“Miss Swan” Regina’s voice said. 

Emma bites her lip and babbles, “so hows things? Everything okay? I hope they are cos you know... well I hope everything’s oka-“ 

“Are you quite finished?” 

Emma shuts up right away. “Yes. Yeah I’m... sorry carry on Re- Miss Mills”

“Are you drunk?” Regina asks, sounding totally confused but mildly amused on the other end. 

Maybe this is her leading Emma into a trap...

“Emma’s voice eases by at least two octaves when she squeals, “Me!? No... definitely not on a school night. What makes you say that?” 

She could almost hear Regina’s wave of confusion and then dismissal in reply as she asks, “anyway, did you get my emails? Just calling to check that you di-“ 

So she had been online then. She needs internet to send emails. What if she’s already received the notification that Emma Swan had like her photo. That photo, in particular

Emma swallows, “I did. Yeah. Yeah I got your emails” and the stupidly asks, “so have you noticed anything unusual recently?” 

Regina hums, “no? Should I have?” 

“No!” Emma snaps and then amends, “I mean not that I know of, just asking you know. Making conversation...” 

Regina must frown on the other side and clears her throat and then says, “very well. I was just wanting to confirm that you’ll attend this weekend? I know you’re obviously not eager but well, you’re assistance is needed” 

And the word needed is what breaks Emma. Of course she’ll go if Regina needs her too...

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I want to spend my entire weekend with a group of kids out in a field sleeping on the floor like peasants?” 

And Regina actually almost giggles, “well when you put it like that...I might join you” 

And is this Regina actually having an adult conversation? She’s capable of that? 

“Feel free. We could always use the uh... assistance” 

Regina scoffs then, “I’m afraid I’m already busy that weekend. But do enjoy your time Miss Swan” 

Emma takes another gulp of wine, “yeah. you know if you do notice anything strange-“ 

“Emma, are you sure you’re okay?” Regina asks. She almost sounds concerned underneath the mild irritation. 

“Why, are you worried about me?” Emma taunts teasingly. 

Regina scoffs and shuts her down immediately “I’m worried about finding cover for you tomorrow if you’re too hungover to show” 

The wine is all gone now and Emma has finished off the last of the bottle. Still she tells Regina, “I’ll be there”

And then she hears a quiet, “good” and then there’s a moment of silence where she can hear Regina breathing before she mutters a quick, “goodnight Miss Swan”

And then the line goes dead as she replies “Goodnight Regina” and she knows she has already hung up the phone before she ever has chance to hear it. 

It’s just past midnight when her phone lights up with another email from Belle French with a long winded excuse on why she can’t make it this weekend and will sadly be unable to attend, but it’s Regina’s reply that stirs up a new feeling for her. 

At the bottom of Belle’s email with the question, ‘do you know anyone else who could possibly take my place?’ Is two words in response. 

‘I’ll go’


End file.
